Burnt Orange Board RSShttp://www.hornsports.com/forums/rss/1-burnt-orange-board-rss.xml/BOB feedenConfidence levels after Texas' first Elite DayMon, 21 Jan 2019 19:21:29 +00002019 Position Preview: Shortstop (Travis Hlavinka)BY TRAVIS HLAVINKA
A week ago, this preview would have been cut and dry, saying how David Hamilton is the team’s most secure starter and maybe the most vital cog in the Texas baseball engine.
However after an incident with an e-scooter which resulted in a torn Achilles, Hamilton is out for at least the 2019 season. Since his arrival to the University of Texas in 2016, the junior has been the starter at baseball’s premier position. With him out, though, head coach David Pierce will have to do his best at replacing an elite defender, base runner and up-and-coming hitter.
The obvious replacement should and most likely will be senior outfielder Masen Hibbeler. An infielder by trade, Hibbeler’s move to the outfield occurred midway through the 2018 season and was possibly one of the sparks that catapulted the Longhorns all the way to the College World Series.
Hibbeler had an excellent 2018 campaign after arriving in Austin from Odessa College. Frequently a top-of-the-order hitter, Hibbeler started in 65 games. He hit .261 over the course of the year and had 21 extra base hits to go along with 30 RBI. Hibbeler has been a starter since Day 1, and do not expect that to change no matter what defensive position he plays in 2019.
While Pierce probably didn’t want to mess with a good thing, he’ll now have to, as the task of replacing Hamilton will be a major component of determining Texas’ success in the upcoming season.
If Pierce wants to go the untraditional route and implement a new face into the lineup, however, he’ll have his choice of two supremely gifted freshmen.
The first of the two was the player who more than likely was going to be Hamilton’s heir apparent if he declared for the MLB draft following the 2019 season. Freshman Bryce Reagan, who originally hails from Amherst, NH, played his high school ball at the prestigious IMG Academy. According to Max Preps, Reagan hit .338 over the course of his senior year and added 12 RBI into the fold.
At a long and lanky 6’2”, Reagan has the range to play at every position in the infield, but is most natural at playing shortstop. The nation’s 19th ranked high school shortstop according to Perfect Game, Reagan was highly regarded and sought after during the recruiting cycle. Reagan no doubt has the Texas pedigree and was seen as one of the cornerstone players to come out of Texas’ 2018 recruiting class.
The other option Pierce has to look at is freshman Alec Carr. Carr came to Texas by way of Sugar Land, where he attended Kempner High School. Far more stocky at 6’0” and 200 pounds, Carr packs much more power into his frame than Reagan. Though he missed almost the entirety of his senior year due to injury, Carr led the state of Texas in home runs as a junior. Like Reagan, Carr is seen as a player that should eventually step into an everyday position, whether it be at short, second base or third base.
While no locked down position has a seamless replacement, Pierce should feel confident in what he has stocked in the cupboard. If Texas can duplicate its success without one of its top players is a large question mark that is hovering over the program. One thing is for certain, though — you won’t see any Texas baseball players riding around on e-scooters any time soon.Sun, 20 Jan 2019 19:32:15 +0000Commitment Spotlight: Jaylen Garth (Jameson McCausland)Sun, 20 Jan 2019 06:52:04 +0000Commitment Spotlight: Jake Majors (Daniel Seahorn)Sun, 20 Jan 2019 06:32:33 +0000Texas hangs on, defeats No. 20 Oklahoma 75-72After a very strong start in the first half, Texas gave way a bit in the second but held on to defeat a very sound Sooner squad. As usual, the second half woes on offense were created by Texas’ lack of production from beyond the arc. The Longhorns shot a measly 22% from 3 in the game, but made them count late when Jase Febres hit from downtown to give Texas a 73-69 lead.
The Longhorns let Oklahoma stay in the game after Matt Coleman and Jaxson Hayes missed some important free throws, but ultimately were able to hold on for a three-point victory. Speaking of free throws, Texas has improved in that area drastically over the past few weeks. Tonight, the Horns made 80% of their free throws. Shaka Smart’s squad continues to improve defensively, but offensive droughts continue to hinder Texas from putting away games. Ultimately, Texas came out on top with a big win that will help when it come decision time for the NCAA Tournament.
Final Stats:
Roach II: 23 pts, 8 reb, 3-6 3pt
Hayes: 15 pts, 6 reb, 5 blk
Osetkowski: 15 pts, 11 reb, 2 stlSun, 20 Jan 2019 03:13:13 +0000*****Texas vs. OU GAME THREAD*****Longhorns down 9-7 early on.Sun, 20 Jan 2019 01:20:51 +0000*****Texas vs. OU GAME THREAD*****Longhorns down 9-7 early on.Sun, 20 Jan 2019 01:20:25 +0000Jake Ehlinger accepts preferred walk on spot at TexasJake Ehlinger is ready to make a name for himself at Texas. The Westlake senior had a couple of fantastic seasons as a linebacker for Westlake, which notched him some Ivy League offers. However, the Westlake senior and 2-star prospect is ready to create his own legacy at Texas and play with his older brother, Sam. Texas gets yet another huge PWO pickup.Sat, 19 Jan 2019 23:29:02 +0000Jalen Catalon sides with ArkansasNo surprise here, but the four-star Mansfield Legacy prospect committed to Arkansas over Texas this afternoon. Texas fought as hard as it could, but Catalon’s family had too much influence in this one.
Catalon would have been an ideal fit for nickel in Todd Orlando’s defense. Fortunately, the Longhorns aren’t hurting in the defensive secondary depth-wise.Fri, 18 Jan 2019 21:25:06 +0000ESPN: New threat to footballFri, 18 Jan 2019 20:49:24 +0000Cam Rising officially transferring from TexasTexas officials confirmed that Cam Rising has left the program and will transfer. With the news that Thompson is likely staying, the blow hurts a little less. Make no mistake, however, Rising was very talented and probably would have taken the reigns once Ehlinger was done.Thu, 17 Jan 2019 04:23:45 +0000Casey Thompson reportedly staying at TexasCasey Thompson is taking his name out of the NCAA Transfer Portal and will remain at Texas. The freshman quarterback is in line to compete with freshman Roschon Johnson for the No. 2 spot behind Sam Ehlinger in 2019. Shane Buechele and Cam Rising still have intentions to transfer. Would be great news for the Longhorns and add depth to a thinning QB room.
1/17 UPDATE: Thompson took to Twitter to announce he has not made any decision, refuting the report.
1/18 UPDATE: Thompson reportedly has informed the staff that he’s staying, per Anwar Richardson. Waiting for an official announcement from Casey.
1/19 UPDATE: a UT spokesman confirmed that Thompson is indeed staying at Texas.Thu, 17 Jan 2019 03:30:56 +0000Shane Buechele reportedly entering NCAA Transfer PortalTexas quarterback Shane Buechele reportedly informed the Texas staff today that he will enter the NCAA Transfer Portal. This would be a big loss to the Longhorns’ quarterback room, as Casey Thompson and Cam Rising are also already in the portal.
Buechele would be a graduate transfer and immediately eligible to play. SMU is the perceived favorite, especially with former starting QB Ben Hicks transferring to Arkansas this offseason. The news was first reported by Anwar Richardson of Orangebloods.Thu, 17 Jan 2019 02:28:13 +0000Jalen Hurts chooses OklahomaThe highly-coveted grad transfer from Alabama has decided to take his talents to Norman in 2019. This is an interesting choice, as Hurts does not really fit Riley's offensive scheme. Also of note, Riley told 2019 QB signee Spencer Rattler that he was not going to take any quarterback transfers.
Hurts is undoubtedly an update to the QB room after the departure of Kyler Murray, however. The scene from Dallas will be interesting nonetheless in October.Wed, 16 Jan 2019 18:56:47 +00002019 Position Preview: Second Base (Travis Hlavinka)BY TRAVIS HLAVINKA
How do you replace a season like Kody Clemens had in 2018? How do you replace a player that was at the top or near the top of the country in average, hits, slugging, home runs and RBI? On top of that, someone who had a .985 fielding percentage at second base and was the unquestioned and undisputed team leader, whose clutch play was the determining factor in so many games? Well, the short answer is you can't. And the long answer is that the production of Clemens will be nearly impossible to replicate.
And while you can try, the likeliness of it happening is about the same as the percentage of people that say Clemson had a bad football season this year. The determining factor of who, in fact, will play the position heavily depends on whether or not senior Masen Hibbeler moves back to the infield or stays in the outfield early in 2019. While he's still listed as an infielder, Hibbeler played the majority of 2018 in left field. And after talking to a few people close to the program during the offseason, the team is pretty content with having him play there in 2019.
That's not to say he won't end up at second, as there is currently a log jam in the outfield with at least five other players with no infield experience (senior Tate Shaw, junior Austin Todd, junior Duke Ellis, sophomore Kamron Fields and freshman Eric Kennedy) that will need large sums of time somewhere in the outfield. Hibbeler is not unfamiliar with the infield as he came to Texas as shortstop, and only moved to the outfield after the coaching staff made the decision to move Clemens from third base to second. While at Odessa College from 2015-2017, Hibbeler spent time in the middle infield and has said those are the positions that he prefers to play. In the end, the coaching staff may have no choice but to move Hibbeler back to second base, but as of right now, my sources are fairly confident his season will start in left. This, of course, was before the news of David Hamilton's season-ending Achilles injury. Now, the likelihood that Hibbeler will end up in the infield is much higher.
If Hibbeler does in fact stay in left, it will leave a pretty barren spot at the position. But I believe head coach David Pierce is comfortable enough with his trio of freshmen middle infielders to give them the reins right away. The first of these freshman will be Lance Ford. The 5'10", 175-pound newcomer out of Kerville Tivy has drawn rave reviews from fall camp, and has been mentioned by Pierce as one of the fresh faces that has earned himself some playing time. However, with the necessity at the position, my guess is that he has earned himself a starting position going into the 2019 season.
The second to get a shot should be Bryce Reagan. Hailing from New Hampshire, Reagan is likely the best defender of the three. At a rangy 6'2", 190 pounds, Reagan grew up playing shortstop, but should make an easy transition to second base. The most highly touted of the three, Reagan could find himself in the platoon at second or shortstop.
The final of the trio will likely be Alec Carr. Carr is substantially meatier than both Reagan and Ford at 6'0", 200 pounds. At Kempner High School, he led the state of Texas in home runs and showed he can transfer that size into power. The only problem with Carr is that he is probably most natural at shortstop and third base, making second base his tertiary position. I believe he's very well-equipped to play third base and should be junior Ryan Reynolds' backup at the position. However I don't think he quite has the defensive chops or the range of Reagan at this point to play second base, and that's why he gets the bump to third spot.
Though I made the claim previously that first base is the most open position, and am sticking by that due to the number of people that can play the position, second base is largely up in the air as well. One thing is for certain, though — there is definitely no shortage of youth at the position. Second base has the makings to be one of the more interesting stories early on in the year and it will definitely be a position worth keeping an eye on in the weeks leading up to the start of the season.Wed, 16 Jan 2019 18:16:53 +0000What David Hamilton's Injury Means for Texas Baseball (Travis Hlavinka)BY TRAVIS HLAVINKA
On Saturday morning, Texas baseball sent out a press release stating that junior shortstop David Hamilton would miss the entirety of the 2019 season after a successful surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles.
A San Marcos native, Hamilton has been the starting shortstop since his arrival on campus. Though he is mostly seen as a defensive savant, Hamilton’s bat vastly improved in 2018. After a season where he hit for a .307 average, seven doubles, six triples, five home runs and 35 RBI, to go along with 37 walks and 31 stolen bases, Hamilton was a Second Team All-Big 12 selection.
Obviously the loss of Hamilton is a devastating blow to a season that hasn’t even started yet, but hope is not all lost as Texas has a player that can make a seamless transition to a full-time role at shortstop. Senior Masen Hibbeler, who split time between second base and left field arrived at Texas with two years of junior college experience playing shortstop. With Hamilton’s injury, Hibbeler will undoubtedly be the one to get first reps at the position.
What this also means is that Hibbeler will most definitely not move back to second base. As a result, at least one freshman will start in the middle infield. My guess is that it will be freshman Lance Ford at second base.
Freshmen Bryce Reagan and Alec Carr will likely get some reps at shortstop as well, with Reagan possibly also sharing second base with Ford. Throwing combinations together and seeing what sticks will probably be on the menu for a team with a lot more questions as it enters the season.
The most puzzling question that looms will be in Texas’ lineup, where Pierce will have to replace either his pick for a leadoff hitter, the No. 5 hole, or the No. 3 hole. Here is what I believed the Texas baseball starting lineup was going to look like prior to Hamilton’s injury:
RF Duke Ellis
LF Masen Hibbeler
SS David Hamilton
DH Zach Zubia
C DJ Petrinsky
3B Ryan Reynolds
CF Tate Shaw
1B Michael McCann
2B Lance Ford
With Hamilton’s injury, the area of strength that actually eases its tension is the absolutely stacked outfield. Prior to Friday, one of Texas’ experienced outfielders was on the outside looking in. Following the injury, however, the combination of senior Tate Shaw and juniors Duke Ellis and Austin Todd will probably be your starting outfield, with sophomore Kamron Fields and freshman Eric Kennedy serving as the primary backups. Here is what I believe Texas’ starting lineup will look like now:
RF Duke Ellis
SS Masen Hibbeler
C DJ Petrinsky
DH Zach Zubia
3B Ryan Reynolds
LF Austin Todd
CF Tate Shaw
1B Michael McCann
2B Lance Ford
The loss of Hamilton will hurt every facet of Texas’ game. Already the team’s best base stealer and likely top defender, Hamilton was a burgeoning hitter with All-American recognition in his sights. Replacing his production will be a must if Texas plans to return to Omaha in June.Mon, 14 Jan 2019 18:18:09 +0000View from the Cheap Seats-Da BoysView from the Cheap Seats-Da Boys
Tough loss/What's next
A tough and ugly loss. Dallas is simply not as good today as the Rams. Rams are not only more talented but significantly better coached. And it's the coaching where the widest gap exists. Sucks to say but it's true. Had Dallas brought their A game, win was there for the taking but the Rams ran the ball down Da Boys throats (273 yards rushing) and stuffed Dallas run game. A Cinderella season came to an end last night.
And as much as some want you to think Dallas got blown out, hardly the case, they lost by 1 score, on the road. Now parts of the game (front 7), Dallas' O scheme were flat ugly but Dak had the best game by any QB playing on Sat. This includes NFL MVP Patrick M, Jared Goff and Andrew Luck. He wasn't perfect but he played well enough for Dallas to win.
The tone of the game was set early by both coaches going for it on 4th and short. Making a statement both teams were playing to win. Dallas would go for it 5 times, making 4 but the one miss was indicative of the way the game went. Dallas ran up the middle 4 times. Rams were ready on #4 and stuff Zeke. This in the 4th quarter (11 minutes and change) and the score 15-23. This a drive Dallas had to have points to have a real shot of getting back into the game. #5 would see one of the rare good play calls as Dak rolled out with Zeke trailing on an option play that gained the 1st down easily.
Out Coached
Rams simply out coached Dallas. Granted they have slightly better talent and were the better team but the difference was coaching. Sean McVay was creative in both scheme and play calling. He kept Dallas off balance the entire night. Wade Phillips (DC for the Rams) lives to stick it to Dallas who fired him. 2nd time his D has abused Dallas' O but he always gets a big assist from the worst OC in the NFL, Scotty Linehan. Dallas has 2 serious handicaps in coaching.
Scotty L is the worst OC in the NFL. He made his "reputation" with the Vikes when he had Randy Moss and Chris Carter as WRs, Robert Smith as his RB and Randall Cunningham as his QB. Frankly it would be hard to fail with those guys. He would ride that wave to an HC gig with the Lions where he would lead them to an 0-16 season. But it's the NFL where retreads keep getting hired and for some un Godly reason, Jerry brings him to Dallas to work with Tony Romo. Rumors are the 2 got along like oil and water. Romo know for basically calling the game at the line. Scotty also runs a timing based passing offense relying on a drop back passer. Neither Romo nor Dak is a drop back passer, both are best on the move. Dak needs to be in a run/pass option O making heavy use of play action. It appears Dak has been "coached" to stay in the pocket and not run. There were several opportunities for him to take off and only 2 designed runs called for him all night. Scotty L is handicapping Dak's development and costing Dallas games.
The other issue is with a coach who 85% of the time, is the nuts. But Rod M swears he doesn't need quality DTs to run his D.
WRONG
In football and in baseball, you win by being strong up the middle. Rams rushed for 5 yards a pop, Dallas for 2.3.
End of the day, Goff's jersey was clean and Dallas failed to get really pressure on him. Why? Largely because we don't have pocket collapsers up front. And Rod M is on record as saying he doesn't need them. The other liability is Dallas plays a pair of Safeties who likely do not start for any other quality defense. They both play their hearts out to their credit but a talent up grade is needed.
If we were not clear, the #1 cause of this loss was Scotty L and his horrific/makes Tim Beck look good play calling. Completely failed to take advantage of what the Rams were doing on D (we have no doubt Wade Phillips knew exactly what Dallas was doing on every play), never kept the Rams off balance, could not sustain drives, failed to use play action, failed to run one of the best running QBs in the league (2 carries for the game), constantly ran Zeke into the middle vs the strongest middle DL in the NFL (monumentally stupid).
Dallas has reached it's level of incompetence with Scotty L.
What went right
Dak had a very good game. Yes, made some mistakes but played well. Of the 4 Saturday QBs, he finished with the highest QBR and within 10 yards of Patrick M. and more TDs (run and pass) than the other 3
Gallup and Cooper Future is bright with these 2 young WRs
Despite getting abused in the run game, Dallas bowed up 4 times forcing FG tries against the 2nd or 3rd best O in the league.
5th Forth and short, Dak and Zeke run the option right, pitch to Zeke, easy 1st down. What took so long
Michael Gallup developed over the year into a 1st class WR and had a career night against the Rams, including a 46 yard over the shoulder grab to set up a Dallas TD.
Season view, Da Boys were down 3-5, Cheap Seats was saying "tank for draft picks". At the bye, they traded for Amari Cooper. Price was steep, this years 1st rounder. Impact was YUGE. Cooper sparked not just the O but the entire team, Dallas goes 7-1 down the stretch beating the Saints (best team in the league?) and Iggles twice. Draft pick is now no better than #25 which takes out some of the sting but a BRILLIANT and gutsy move. Especially considering JJ's last 2 trades for WRs didn't pan out as well.
5 Key plays that doomed Da Boys
#5 ZERO sacks. and by the 2nd half, little to no pressure
#4 1st drive 2nd half, 3 and out. Not one play but Dallas blows 2 chances to score at the end of the 1st then one at the start of the 2nd. Dallas never got the rams out of their game.
#3 3rd and 7, :52 seconds in the 1st half Dallas at the Rams 36. Sack taking Dallas out of FG range score 20-7
#2 3rd and 14, Rams 40, score 13-7. 2:36 in 1st half. Dallas forces an incomplete pass only to have Bryon Jones called for his fingernail scraping Rams WR facemask.
#1 4th and 1, 4th quarter 11 and change on the clock down 15-23 at the Rams 40. 4th straight 4th and short, Scotty L calls run up the middle. Yeah, not like the Rams knew that was coming. The dagger in the heart
Where does Dallas go from here
Dallas fielded the youngest team in the playoffs this year. Zeke won the rushing title. Team showed great resilience starting 3-5 then going 7-1 to win the NFC East for the 3rd time in the last 5 years. The roster is loaded with good young players. Major bullet dodged as Kris Richards was not nabbed for a HC gig anywhere. Some really dumb teams out there as Richards is a REALLY good coach.
Good news/bad news. Good news is Da Boys enjoy $55 million in cap space, bad news, Dallas has a great many young players they need to sign.
And there are some serious questions, especially along the OL where 3 players have Top 4 on the team salaries. Does Travis Fredrick return? Tron Smith is not the All Pro OT he once was and for his production, over paid.
Should not be any question D-Law is re-signed and room could be made cutting Crawford (potential for a re-work of his contract) and. . .dare we say it. . .Sean Lee. Love Lee but clearly the injuries have taken their toll. Or extend him, reducing his hit and he being a back up and defacto LB coach. 1 more year left on Dak, 2 on Elliott but you know Elliott wants a new deal. Suspect they sign Elliott and hold off on Dak. Cheap Seats would re-sign Armani Cooper in a heart beat. Half the cap space would come from cutting Hurns and TWill. Stephen Jones and Will McClay actually pretty good with the Cap.
Dallas, Dak and Zeke deserve an OC who is creative and a QB coach who can help Dak develop. Scotty L and his mini-me Kellen Moore needed to be shown the door as soon as the plane touched down. If we were in charge, both would have flown home Southwest. Hard to believe Jerry and Jason don't see that but both seem in love with Scotty L. Dallas cannot advance further with Scotty anywhere near the sidelines.Mon, 14 Jan 2019 14:28:11 +0000Texas SS David Hamilton to miss 2019 season with Achilles injuryVia Texas
AUSTIN, Texas—Texas Baseball junior David Hamilton will miss the 2019 season after undergoing successful surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles on Friday afternoon.
Hamilton, a second team All-Big 12 selection in 2018, has played in 120 games over his first two seasons on the Forty Acres.Sat, 12 Jan 2019 15:42:55 +0000UT Baseball with a HUGE commitThe Longhorns have landed a commitment from RHP Jared Kelly.
He is a 2020 RHP that had been committed to TCU. Top 10 prospect in the country and rated by many as #1 in Texas.
He may not make it to campus (draft) but this is a HUGE coup for the UT baseball staff to pull this off.Sat, 12 Jan 2019 02:04:52 +0000Transfer Portal?Will somebody with knowledge of the new NCAA rule please explain the new "transfer portal" to me? Apparently, Cameron Rising is going on a visit to Utah. Does this mean he's now obligated to transfer or does our staff need to recruit him all over again?
He still has the option to return, I guess, but this doesn't look good.Fri, 11 Jan 2019 17:55:44 +0000Cam Rising taking official visit to UtahThe saga in the Texas quarterback room just got more interesting. Several weeks ago, Cam Rising and Casey Thompson both entered their names into the NCAA Transfer Portal. Since that time, Tom Herman has worked furiously to keep both in Austin.
It appeared that Herman’s efforts were paying off with Thompson, but Rising has elected to explore other options. If Texas wants to keep the talented redshirt freshman in the fold, it will have to start re-recruiting him to stay in Austin. Otherwise, he may move back closer to home. The news was first reported by Alex Markham of UteNation.com.Fri, 11 Jan 2019 17:52:55 +0000Brandon Jones Announces Return For 2019Texas junior safety Brandon Jones has announced his intentions to return for his senior season via his Twitter account.
Big news for Texas, as Jones was one of their defensive leaders on the back end.Thu, 10 Jan 2019 20:58:56 +0000The $100 Coop Gift Card Winner is...@Coot! The race got even tighter from the midpoint, and Coot edged out @HORNfromETX for first place. Here are the top 5 standings and point totals:
1. Coot - 170 points
2. Hornfrom ETX - 160 points
3. @Sirhornsalot - 155 points
T4. @drgilbert, @UTfish, @longhorndon, @Grandpa Zorro - 145 points
5. @primal defense - 140 points
Coot, message me and we will get you your gift card! Thank you all for participating this year. We hope to make this an annual contest and hope to gain more participants next year!Thu, 10 Jan 2019 19:44:39 +0000Herman reportedly retaining each member of coaching staffThe word "alignment" is thrown around a lot by Texas head coach Tom Herman, and it appears Texas football will remain aligned heading into the 2019 season. Herman reportedly informed his staff recently that each member will be retained for next football season. With former Kansas head coach David Beaty on the market after being fired earlier in the season, there was speculation that Herman would at least fire one staff member to make room for Beaty and his positive recruiting reputation in the DFW area.
This news means that the following coaches will be retained: Tim Beck, Todd Orlando, Stan Drayton, Herb Hand, Drew Mehringer, Corby Meekins, Oscar Giles, Jason Washington, and Craig Naivar. Of course, several of these coaches could leave for better opportunities or even be re-assigned to a different role within the football program. Regardless, each member of the football staff has some sense of job security. What that means exactly remains to be seen.
This second year staff helped Texas achieve its first 10-win season since 2009 and was the only team outside of Alabama and Clemson to knock off two top 5 opponents in 2018. The news on Herman's decision was first reported by Anwar Richardson of Orangebloods.Wed, 09 Jan 2019 20:00:37 +0000Arizona Kardinals?Fired by Tech, hired by the NFL. Wow.....that's all I've got to say 'bout that.Tue, 08 Jan 2019 22:43:00 +0000